1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a hand tool that allows convenient winding or rewinding of a strap onto a winch, and more particularly, to an apparatus that provides rapid winding or rewinding onto a winch of a load strap of the type used to secure cargo on a flatbed of a truck.
2. Description of the Related Art
Over the road trucking is the most economical common carrier available today to transport relatively large loads of commodities such as lumber, building materials, gardening supplies, cement or plastic culverts, steel rolls, and the like. These and other commodities are generally transported on flatbed carriers such as trucks, semi-trailers, and full-trailers to move these goods on roads and highways. To maintain economic transportation advantages, the loads are large and generally have a high profile. Therefore, in order to maintain these loads on the flatbed trailers, binders, or straps under high tension must be used to hold the loads fixed on the truck beds during the transportation mode. For this purpose tie-down devices are used in the form of a plurality of winches that are selectively mounted on a side bar rail which is attached to the bottom or side of one side of the vehicle bed. Typically, the winch utilizes a ratchet and cam mechanism that is selectively disengaged from the ratchet so that when one end of the strap is inserted into the winch and passed over the cargo with the opposite end of the strap being directly fixed to the opposite side of the trailer bed. The strap is pulled tight to engage the load. When the desired tension is obtained, the cam re-engages the ratchet to prevent the strap from further unwinding.
To obtain sufficient tension on the strap, the driver will often use a wrench tool or bar. Since the bar is used to obtain sufficient leverage to tension the strap, the tip of the bar is generally sized to fit the hole in the winch hub so as to enable the driver to fit the tip of the bar into the winch hub and get sufficient leverage to turn the winch rotating cylinder a quarter turn with each placement of the winch bar.
After the vehicle has delivered the load to its destination, the strap is disengaged from the load, the load is unloaded, and the strap needs to be rewound onto the winch. Rewinding the loading strap is a very tedious process since as many as ten to twelve winches may be mounted along the longitudinal length of the flatbed truck. Rewinding all of the loading straps is a costly, time consuming process whether it is accomplished by the driver or other unloading personnel. A further problem associated with the rewinding of the straps of the various winches mounted on a flatbed vehicle is that of safety. Since most of the winches are mounted along the underneath edge of the flatbed, any tool that is used to assist in the rewinding of the strap must take into account the lack of space between the winch and the steel plate that generally is mounted at the edge of the flatbed. It is not uncommon for a user of a tool to assist in the rewinding of the strap to injure a hand or forearm as a result of the hand slipping from the tool and colliding with the edges of the flatbed.
Many solutions to this ongoing problem have been proposed in the prior art. For example, Webster, U.S. Pat. No. 4,390,141, proposes the use of an L-shaped frame having a first leg clamped to a selected stake hole of a conventional flatbed truck with a right angle second leg extending horizontally in a direction away from the truck bed. Intermediate the ends of the second leg, a strap reel handle and strap reel assembly are journalled for relative engagement during the winding operation. Stanley, U.S. Pat. No. 5,961,061, also proposes a specially designed holding means to attach to a truck rub rail with a C-clamp.
Mocci, U.S. Pat. No. 6,102,637, discloses a strap winding tool which utilizes the existing winch holes designed to accept the winch bar. A hook configuration at the end of the winding tool provides a positive engagement to the winch drum. The winding tool is bent in a fashion that enables the user to rotate the rod using a simple hand motion while grasping steel sleeves mounted on the winding bar.
Power actuated winding tools are also proposed in the prior art to solve the problem. Reilly et al., U.S. Pat. No. 6,705,597, discloses a sleeve tool that is inserted into the axial opening of the winch spindle. The tool includes a longitudinal slot that receives the inner end of the strap. The opposite end of the tool terminates in a head portion that is lockably interchangeable with a drive component of a powered drive apparatus such as a power drill or a hand crank. Similarly, Claycomb, U.S. Pat. No. 6,729,604, discloses a hand crank which is attached to a spindle having an engagement pin that fits inside the hole in the winch drum. The hand crank can be replaced with a power driven device allowing the operator to rapidly and conveniently rewind the load securing strap.
Finally, Goulet, U.S. Pat. No. 7,059,588, discloses a strap winder which is actuated by a power operated driver, e.g., a pneumatic torque, a wrench, or an electric, pneumatic, or hydraulic motor and includes a shaft having at one end, a slot configured for receipt of a strap and an opposite end configured to connect with the power operated driver.
The problem with most of the prior art devices proposed to rewind truck cargo straps is that many are quite cumbersome, require considerable time to mount or secure to the cargo bed and/or winch, and few provide any protection from possible damage to the operator's hands where the winding device is operated near the edge of the truck bed and the operator's hand inadvertently slips off the winding tool and/or handle resulting in scrapes and bruises caused by the metal edge of the truck bed because there is very little clearance between the winding handle and the truck bed or guide rail to which the winch is mounted.